The amount of land in receipt of forestry payments in counties Leitrim, Longford, Westmeath and Wicklow in 2016 was at least double that of 2007, figures from the Department of Agriculture show.

Land eligible for premia in Leitrim went from 190ha in 2007 to 433ha in 2016, a jump of 128%.

In Longford, the forestry payment area jumped 120% from 123ha to 272ha in the nine-year period.

Westmeath forestry payments almost doubled (99%) from 141ha to 281ha in the same time frame.

The biggest increase was recorded in Wicklow, where the acreage climbed 180% from a low base of 89ha to 250ha.

Other notable increases were in Cavan (up 41%), Roscommon (up 40%) and Sligo (up 47%).

Other counties fell significantly, so nationally the amount of land in receipt of payments fell by 6.5% between 2007 and 2016.

Non-farming investors

Communities in Leitrim have raised concerns about non-farming investors buying up and planting land within the county.

Figures presented to local councillors by Seamus Dunne, senior inspector with the Forest Service, show that 62 applications were made in Leitrim in 2016 for forestry licences.

Thirty-nine of those (63%) were made by farmers with addresses in Leitrim and 13 applications (21%) were made by farmers with addresses in the surrounding counties.

However, the identities of the remaining 10 applicants (16%) are unclear.

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